The Appetizer Atlas- a world of small bites

Restaurant and Bakery Consulting

Friday, August 26, 2016

Sap’s in Late July and GRILLED PORK!

I have been
pretty slammed lately and haven’t posted much, but wanted to relate my report
of a recent Thai food fix at Sap’s Fine Thai Cuisine South, on Westgate. Art
and I were having a planning meeting, and we hadn’t had Thai in a while, so off
we went.

Sap's Moo Ping

The first dish we ordered was Moo Ping (S-A8), as an appetizer. Moo ping (moo means pork, and ping means grilled) is a common street vendor dish cooked all over
the country. Usually the vendor will have a simple large pot or one burner stove
(known as a tao), with a bed of
glowing mangrove charcoal on the bottom, and a metal grate across the top. Or,
for more volume, they will have the classic skewer grill, where supports hold
the meaty skewers suspended over the coals. They will have a tub of thin strips
of skewered pork sirloin marinating in a dark sauce made up of cilantro roots, garlic,
white peppercorns, palm sugar, fish sauce (or plaa raa, fermented fish sauce, if it is in Isaan), soy, and dark
soy or oyster sauce. As the skewers cook they are dabbed with coconut milk to
form a dark, sinfully rich caramelized glaze on the exterior. Traditionally
they are served with a wad of steamed sticky rice and a dark, funky, spicy,
dried chile dipping sauce called nahm jimjaew. My favorite place for moo ping
in Bangkok is a vendor named Moo Ping Bangkok Bazaar.

A moo ping skewer cooking at Moo Ping Haeowen, from their Facebook page

It sits near the intersection of Ploenchit and Soi Luang Suan, at the corner of
the BKK Bazaar and behind the TOT Phone Building. Owners Decha and Yupa
Soonthonthanamukol only operate between 3 and 7pm, Monday through Friday, but
manage to serve about 1,000 a day in 4 hours. It’s very popular and very
delicious. Their version of the dipping sauce tinges decidedly towards the
Northeast-Isaan area, because it tastes stronger and funkier than the standard
fish sauce dipping sauce version. The last time I was there the skewers were 3
baht apiece, so ten skewers, a ball of sticky rice, and a bag of sauce costs
about $1.25 U.S. I’m sure it costs more these days, but still, an economical
meal. A fantastic deal and exceptionally delish. Another really good version is
served at Moo Ping Heaowen, a famous cart at the SW corner of Silom and
Convent, in front of the 7-11. They serve from 10pm until they run out in the
early morning.

Sap’s version of Moo Ping comes as slices of grilled pork instead of skewers,
which is actually easier to eat. It has that smoky, caramelized flavor that
instantly transports me back to that corner in Bangkok, standing in line at
Decha and Yupa’s place. You dip each tender bite into the dark, spicy sauce,
and then pinch off a nibble of sticky rice. If you haven’t had Sap’s moo ping
before, I strongly recommend it. See the bottom of the page for my recipe, to
cook at home in case Sap’s is closed.

Thai Sweet and Sour with Shrimp and Squid

Art has never tasted Thai sweet and sour, so I ordered S-P28, with shrimp and
squid. It is more sour than the classic Chinese-American version, a lot more
complex in flavor, and perfectly balanced. The sauce is not gloppy and over-thickened
like the typical sweet and sour normally is. Onion, green beans, eggplant,
garlic, ginger, cloud ears, chunks of pineapple, and tomato share the bowl with
plump shrimp and exceedingly tender squid. It is a very nice version of the classic
Thai-Chinese dish. Art was pleasantly surprised.

Chicken Phat Thai

I haven’t eaten Phat Thai (S-F1) in a coon’s age. When I think of the pantheon
of Thai noodle dishes, there are so many others that take precedence with me.
Frankly, I resent phat Thai as being a pedestrian dish ordered by folks with no
sense of adventure. It’s like going to a Sichuan place and ordering fried rice,
or won tons stuffed with fake crab and cream cheese. Well, not that bad. But, I figured, what the hell,
it’s been years. Sap does a really nice phat Thai, which we ordered with
chicken. He uses tamarind instead of the typical ketchup base that so many Thai
joints in America use. I liked it. A lot.

Nuer Ob

The last dish we got was Nuer Ob, S-P46, a bowl of chunks of fall-apart tender beef
swimming in a sinfully rich sauce made from slowly braised onion, garlic,
tomatoes, fish sauce, and palm sugar. It comes with a side dish of a searingly
hot, fresh Thai chile-garlic sauce, which balances the dish perfectly. Highly,
highly recommended.

1. Pound or blend the cilantro, garlic, white pepper, palm sugar, fish sauce,
soy, mushroom soy, oyster sauce, and oil together to form a thick marinade.
Place the pork into a resealable plastic bag, add the marinade, and massage to
make sure that the marinade contacts all of the meat. Marinate for at least 4
hours, up to 8 hours, refrigerated.

2. Make the dipping sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and
balance the lime and sugar, leaving the sauce salty and a little on the sour
side. Reserve for service.

3. Soak wood skewers in warm water for at least
30 minutes prior to skewering, or use metal skewers. Build a charcoal fire and
let it cook down to a layer of hot, gray coals.

4. Place the meat in a colander or sieve to drain, and let come almost to room
temperature, catching any marinade in a bowl below. Toss the meat with the
cornstarch. Skewer the pork slices
tightly onto the skewers, being careful to evenly distribute pieces with fat.
Combine the collected marinade with the coconut milk and reserve for brushing
the skewers as they grill.